Holder for drinking glasses



April 22, 1952 c. G. FOWLER HOLDER FOR DRINKING GLASSES Filed June 25, 1948 m mm W M m M a r 3 7 a 5 0 m 6%.

Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE aseascs g HOLDER FOR DRINl ING GLASSES oneness? Fowler, Miami, Fla. Application June 25, 1 948, Serial No. 35,110 1 2 Claims. (01. 65- 61) It is among the objects of the 65160 vide an improved heat-insulative holder which will receive the major portion of a drinking glass and closely fit the glass to prevent accidental separation of the holder and glass, while permit-f Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View on an enlarged scale of a fragmentary portion ting easy release of the glass from: the holder for washing and storage; whichprovides anginternal space to receive-moisture of condensation from a chilled drinking glass, and a glass-engagingseal to prevent spilling of condensed moisturefrom such space, which has walls including heat-insulating material so that moisture will not condense on the outside of the coaster to Wet or damage furniture and [SC -that the temper-as ture of the contents of the associateddrinking.

glass will be protected, which may-be provided sive and readily-available materials, and is neatand attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following descriptionand the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein;

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a holder illustrative of the invention with a conventional drinking glass operatively received therein, a portion of the holderbeing broken away and shown in cross-section. to better illustrate the construction thereof; i

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale of a fragmentary portion of the holder illustrated in Figure 1, taken substan tially on the line 2-2 of Figure l, and showing a structural detail of the holder;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view on an, enlarged scale of a fragmentary portion of the holder shown in Figure 1, taken substan tially, on the line 3 ,3 of Figure 1', and showing. the structural detail illustrated inFigure, .2;

ofthe holdertaken substantially on the line BB of Figure l, and showing a further structural detail of the holder; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a slide operatively received in the slot illustrated in Figure 4.

With continued reference to the drawing, the improved holder comprises, in general, an inner shell I0, an outer shell II, a sealing gasket I2, one or more settable slides l3 slidably received in elongated, undercut slots provided in the side wall of the outer shell of the holder, and suitable indicia I4 on such outer wall rendered effective by the positioning of the slides Hi to indicate the contents of the associated drinking glass.

, The inner shell I0 is a thin walled, hollow body having an annular or cylindrical side wall 9 and ailat end wall I? at one end of the side wall, the other-end of the side wall of the shell being open. This inner shell is preferably formed of a suitable synthetic resin plastic and, in the arrangement illustrated, the side wall 9 has a substantially uniform internal diameter of a length such that it closely surrounds and substantially circumferentially contacts an associated tapered drinking glass 1 5, at the open end of the inner shell. The side wall 9 of the inner shell has a length such for the slot illustrated in Figures; I

that the major portion of the glass is received in the inner shell of the holder except for a portion of the glass near its open end suiiicient to permit a person to drink from the glass without i touching the holder.

The glass 15, as is conventional, tapers from its open end to its closed end, and the substantially uniform internal diameter of the side Wall of the inner shell H] of the holder provides an annular, moisture-receiving space [6 which circumferentially surrounds the glass between the open end of the inner shell and the bottom wall [1 thereof-to receive moisture condensing on the surface of the glass.

The end wall I! is preferably integral with the sidewall 9 and the diameter of the open end of the holder is-preierably such that the bottom of the associated glass [5 is spaced from the end wall H of the inner shell, as indicated at I8.

The outer shell I! is also a hollow, cylindrical body having an annular or cylindrical side wall it open at one end and a fiat end Wall I'll closing the other end of the side wall. The wall thickness. of: this outer shell ii is preferably greater than the wall thickness of the inner shell l0, and the outer shell 4 l receives the inner shell I0 with its end wall i9 slightly spaced interiorly fron i the en cl ,wall H of theinner shell and with 3 its side wall 8 slightly spaced circumferentially from the side wall 9 of the inner shell ID. The side walls 8 and 9 are circumferentially joined together at the open ends of the two shells, as indicated at 20 in Figure 6.

The space between the side and end walls of the inner shell and the outer shell II is pref erably filled with a suitable heat-insulative material 2|, such as spun glass, asbestos fibre, or moisture-proof paper, to retard condensation of moisture on the outer surface of the holder. The

outer shell is also preferably formed of a suitablesynthetic resin plastic and may be given any desired color so that the holders may be provided in sets in which each holder has a distinctive color and is easily recognizable or distinguishable from the remaining holders, so that the user of any particular drinking glass will be able to recognize his particular glass when it is returned to him after being refilled. While themdividually-colored outer walls provide an effective and attractive means for distinguishing the individual holders in a set, one from the other, other identifying characteristics may be used, if desired, such as by inlaying or embossing a number, letter or other design on each holder, or by putting some word or statement on the outer surface of each holder.

In the preferred arrangement, as illustrated in detail in Figure 6, the side wall of the inner shell I0 terminates at its open end somewhat short of the open end of the side wall of the outer shell II to provide an annular internal recess of' rectangular cross-sectional shape within the top or rim of the holder, and the annular sealing gasket I2 is seated in and secured in this recess. This gasket may be made of a suitable resilient material, such as cork or rubber and closely contacts the outer surface of the drinking glass to prevent any condensed moisture from spilling from the moisture receiving space 16 when the glass and holder assembly is tilted for drinking. It is to be understood, however, that the gasket I2 may be associated with the inner and outer shells of the holder in any other suitable or desired manner, without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

The side wall 8 of the outer shell H of the holder is provided in the outer surface thereof with one or more shallow, rectangular recesses 22, within each of'which is a longitudinally extending medial groove 23 preferably of rectangular cross sectional shape. Thin wa-ll'ed', rectangular plates 24 of the same material as the outer shell of the holder are permanently see cured one in each recess and are each provided with a longitudinally extending slot 25 overlying the groove 23, but having a width less than the width of the groove to provide an undercut groove or guideway in the side wall of the outer shell of the holder. A thin leaf spring 26 (or other type) is slidably mounted in each undercut groove and frictionally contacts the bottom of the groove 23 and the'inner surface of plate 24 at the opposite sides of slot 25 to frictionally hold the spring in adjusted position in the groove. A button 2'! is secured to the spring by a short stem 28 and has a pointer 29 extending from one side thereof toward the indicia l4 provided on the outer surface of the outer wall of the holder. These indicia I 4 comprise the names of difierent beverages and are arranged in columnar form along one side of each of the under-cut slots. Each plate 24 is preferably provided with a series of notches 39 along one side of the slot25 provided therein, which notches are so arranged that one is disposed opposite each indicating word printed on the holder.

With this arrangement, when the button 21 has been moved by sliding spring 26 in the associated under-cut groove until the pointer 29 is opposite the desired word, the button may be given a slight lateral movement to seat the stem 28" in the: corresponding notch 30 to thereby retain the button at the desired indicating position against accidental displacement. In order to provide the necessary freedom of movement for this purpose-the spring 26 is made slightly narrower than the groove 23 in the outer wall of the holder.

In the-arrangement illustrated, two indicators are pro idcd, one for the type of liquor to be used i aking the drink, and the other for the desired-mixer. It is to be understood, however, thatthe' indi'cia may be-varied, as desired, without in any-way exceeding the scope of the invention. j

The" invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, is, however, to be considered in all respects as'illustrative' and not restrictive, the scope of'tlie invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are; therefiire, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A heat insulative holder for a drinking glass comprising-.aninner' shell dimensioned to receive the maiorportion of a drinking glass and including a cylindrical side wall open at one end and an end wall; closing the other end of said side wall, an outer shell receiving said inner shell and including a. cylindrical side wall open at one end and an endiwall closing theother end of the side walL-the side wall of said outer shell having an internal diameter slightly greater than the outside: diameter of th side wall of said inner shell to provide a circumferential space between said side walls and the end wall of said inner shell being spaced from the end wall of said outer shell, and heat-insulative material filling the space between the side and end wall of said inner and outer shells, said side walls being sealed together at the open ends of said shells to close the spacereceiving said heat-insulative material, and the side wall of said outer shell projecting beyond the side wall of said inner shell at theopen' ends of said shells to provide an annula r recess within said outer shell at the open end thereof, and; an annular gasket of resilient material disposedi'in said recess to engage a drinking glass placed in the holder. j

2. A heat-insulative' holder for a drinking glass comprising 'an inner shell dimensioned to receive the major portion of a; drinking glass and including a cylindrical sidewall open at one end and an end wall closing the other end of said side wall, an outer shell receiving said inner shell and iricluding-acylindrical side wall open at one end and an endfyall closing the other end of the side wall, the sidewall of said outer shell having an internal diameter slightly greater than the outside diametei of the sidewall of said inner shell to provide ajbircumferential space between. said side walls and the end wall of said inner shell being spac ;from the end wall of said outer shell, heatnsulative' material filling the spaces between the side and end walls of said inner and 5 outer shells, said side walls being sealed together at the open ends of said shells to close the space receiving said heat-insulative material, and means on said holder for indicating the contents of the associated drinking glass, such indicating means comprising indicia inscribed in columnar arrangement on the outer surface of the side wall of said outer shell, an undercut guideway provided in the outer shell side Wall adjacent said indicia, a spring slidable in said guideway and frictionally engaging the surfaces thereof, and means secured to said spring for sliding the latter in said guideway and indicating by the position of said means relative to said indicia the contents of the associated drinking glass.

CHARLES G. FOWLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 23,106 Gulick May 3, 1949 119,891 Smith Oct. 10, 1871 189,412 Wright Apr. 10, 1877 225,440 Vasseur Mar. 9, 1880 310,202 Hoeber Jan. 6, 1885 Number Number 6 Name Date Seelinger Aug. 15, 1899 Hawkins June 6, 1905 Rieckhoif Apr. 26, 1919 Maynard June 20, 1911 Edmonds et al. Mar. 5, 1912 Engel Oct. 3, 1916 Guest June 19, 1923 Kupfer Feb. 19, 1929 Beverly July 9, 1929 Muenchen July 16, 1929 Brown May 5, 1931 Foley Aug. 15, 1933 Humboldt Dec. 19, 1933 Montgomery Apr. 24, 1934 Gray May 1, 1934 Ferry Mar. 2, 1937 Morton Aug. 15, 1939 Campbell Sept. 24, 1940 De Haven Nov. 18, 1941 Clifiord, Jr Sept. 14, 1943 Wolcott Apr. 4, 1944 Gilbert Feb. 19, 1946 Gulick Sept. 7, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France May 5, 1931 

